NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for October 17, 1997

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Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive .

Friday, October 17, 1997

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:35 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, October 17, 1997. The daily crossword is the classic: a 15×15 grid on weekdays and a larger Sunday puzzle, with difficulty rising from a gentle Monday to a fiendish Saturday. Hints come first and the solution stays hidden until you ask for it.

72 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.

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Previous The Crossword answer

Thursday, October 16, 1997

across

1. Starts: JUMPS
6. Emily of "Our Town": WEBB
10. It takes a bow at a recital: VIOL
14. Render harmless, in a way: UNARM
15. Part: AREA
16. They, in Trieste: ESSE
17. Tongue twister #1: THREEFREETHROWS
20. Varsity starters: ATEAM
21. Comic strip tiger: HOBBES
22. It may have 6 rms, riv vu: APT
24. Moore of "G.I. Jane": DEMI
27. River through the Lake of the Ozarks: OSAGE
28. Addict's need?: REHAB
31. Time off: RANDR
33. Kind of deer: ROE
34. Treasured spots?: TROVES
36. [Oh no!]: GROAN
38. Tongue twister #2: UNIQUENEWYORK
42. Jacket material: SUEDE
43. Foul up, as plans: DERAIL
45. Old what's-___-name: HER
48. Rewrites: EDITS
50. The Post or News, e.g.: DAILY
51. Protozoan: AMEBA
53. Biblical brother: ESAU
55. Rejections: NOS
56. You may have to send for it: REBATE
58. Runabout?: CHILD
61. Tongue twister #3: PRESHRUNKSHIRTS
66. Stare at: OGLE
67. "Clear as day": ISEE
68. Like Mork's spaceship: OVOID
69. Loch ___: NESS
70. Difficulty, so to speak: NEED
71. Famous test participant: PEPSI

down

1. Stick (out): JUT
2. New England state sch.: UNH
3. Part of an ironman competition: MARATHON
4. Ready: Fr.: PRET
5. Hook's mate: SMEE
6. "Getting close": WARMER
7. Before, to Byron: ERE
8. Old-fashioned party: BEE
9. Shellacking: BATH
10. Hit and run, e.g.: VERBS
11. Map line: ISOBAR
12. New York river to Lake Ontario: OSWEGO
13. Tenant: LESSEE
18. The macarena, once: FAD
19. Cheered: HOORAYED
22. Word with form or film: ART
23. Where El Misti volcano is: PERU
25. Refrigerator decorations: MAGNETS
26. About: INRE
29. Dollar rival: AVIS
30. Hand down: BEQUEATH
32. "Harvey" character Elwood P. ___: DOWD
35. Took to court: SUED
37. Half of a 1934 M-G-M couple: NORA
39. Newswoman Magnus: EDIE
40. Kerplop maker: RAINDROP
41. Part of kg-m: KILO
44. French-Belgian boundary river: LYS
45. Talk about endlessly: HARPON
46. Reveal oneself: EMERGE
47. Civil War side: REBELS
49. Pink-slipped: SACKED
52. Diamond corners: BASES
54. Speech stumbles: UHS
57. Ireland: ERIN
59. Breakfast chain, informally: IHOP
60. CNN word: LIVE
62. Consume: USE
63. Originally named: NEE
64. Old-fashioned contraction: TIS
65. Star Wars: Abbr.: SDI

Hints and full breakdown for Oct 16

More daily puzzle hints

How the week is built

Monday and Tuesday: straightforward definitions and familiar answers. These are the best days to learn.
Wednesday: a step up, often with a playful theme.
Thursday: the trick day, with rebus squares (several letters in one square) and answers that turn corners or skip squares.
Friday and Saturday: themeless and tough, with sly clues and long open sections.
Sunday: a bigger 21×21 grid with a theme, about as hard as a Wednesday or Thursday.

Crossword-solving habits worth building

Learn the common fill. Short vowel-heavy words such as ERA, OREO, ALOE and ETNA appear constantly because they help constructors connect sections.
Read clue signals. "?" means wordplay, "Abbr." means an abbreviation, "e.g." means an example of a category, and a foreign word in the clue hints at a foreign answer.
Find the theme. The longest answers usually share a gimmick; the title (on Sundays) or a "revealer" clue explains it.
Erase without fear. When crossings don't work, the wrong letter is usually in the answer you were most confident about.
Use targeted help. Reveal one letter here, or try our crossword solver with a pattern like ?R?S?.

The Crossword FAQ

When is the next crossword released?

Weekday puzzles go live at 10 p.m. Eastern Time the night before; weekend puzzles are released earlier in the evening.

What is a rebus square?

A square that holds more than one letter. Sometimes it holds a whole word or a symbol. They are most common on Thursdays.

Which day is the hardest?

Saturday is generally the hardest, followed by Friday. Sunday is larger but closer to midweek difficulty.

Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive.